Reuseable step and porch form

ABSTRACT

Combination metal porch/step forms and step forms for forming concrete into a desired porch/step or step construction. The porch form consists of a pair of flanged side panels which are secured to front panels at the corner of the form by pairs of removable pins which double pin the panels rigidly together with the side panels abutting the front panels and extending rearwardly at right angles to the front panels. The step form employed with the porch form has at least one pair of oppositely spaced stringers which are each doubly secured by a pair of removable pins to a respective front panel of the porch panels. In both the step form employed with the porch form and the one employed without the porch form, intermittent outwardly flanged risers extend within slots in the stringers of greater width than the risers and are secured to the stringers by removable riser pins which hold each riser against the rear edge of each slot within which a riser is secured. The pins extend through apertures in the upper flange of the stringer and through aligned apertures in the upper and lower flanges of the riser and a riser pin bracket located below each slot. In the case of the step form used without the porch form, the stringers may be clamped to other stringers to build up the length of the step form. Both the porch panels and stringers of the combination porch/step forms are provided with pocket brackets for receiving wooden stakes to stake the forms to the ground. When the step forms are used alone, the brackets on the stringers receive the metal stakes. When the combination porch/step form is used, the step form is secured to each front panel by a pair of removable pins to doubly pin the step form to the porch form.

Unite States Patent [1 1 Brown Oct. 15, 1974 REIJSEABLE STEP AND PORCH FORM William M. Brown, Milwaukee, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Ultra Products, Inc., Milwaukee,

; Wis.

[22] Filed: Dec. 15, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 315,672

[75] Inventor:

Primary ExaminerRobert D. Baldwin Assistant Examiner-John McQuade Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Andrus, Sceales, Starke & Sawall [57] ABSTRACT Combination metal porch/step forms and step forms for forming concrete into a desired porch/step or step construction. The porch form consists of a pair of flanged side panels which are secured to front panels at the corner of the form by pairs of removable pins which double pin the panels rigidly together with the side panels abutting the front panels and extending rearwardly at right angles to the front panels. The step form employed with the porch form has at least one pair of oppositely spaced stringers which are each doubly. secured by a pair of removable pins to a respective front panel of the porch panels. In both the step form employed with the porch form and the one employed without the porch form, intermittent outwardly flanged risers extend within slots in the string ers of greater width than the risers and are secured to the stringers by removable riser pins which hold each riser against the rear edge of each slot within which a riser is secured. The pins extend through apertures in the upper flange of the stringer and through aligned apertures in the upper and lower flanges of the riser and a riser pin bracket located below each slot. In the case of the step form used without the porch form, the stringers may be clamped to other stringers to build up the length of the step form. Both the porch panels and stringers of the combination porch/step forms are provided with pocket brackets for receiving wooden stakes to stake the forms to the ground. When the step forms are used alone, the brackets on the stringers receive the metal stakes. When the combination porch/- step form is used, the step form is secured to each front panel by a pair of removable pins to doubly pin the step form to the porch form.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved step form and combination step/porch forms which are extremely versatile with an interchangeability of parts. The forms enable the mason to assemble and pour concrete in a minimum of time, then disassemble the forms after the concrete has set and reuse the forms immediately thereafter. More than 100 configurations can be poured .With a single set of forms. The improved construction in the step form lies in the manner of securing the risers to the stringers so that the risers can be readily broken away from the concrete and removed after the concrete has cured or even loosened so that the status of the set of the concrete may be examined. The improvement in the combination porch/step forms rests on the double pinning of the front and side panels and the double pinning of the frontpanels to the string ers which results in a tight rigid assembly and automatically assures a right angle at the porch corners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to an improved step form and a combination of a porch/step form. The step form in its simplest construction comprises a pair of oppositely spaced stringers which have outwardly projecting top and bottom flanges with the top flanges being provided with apertures at predetermined spaced locations. When the step form is employed in combination with a porch form, the stringers are of generally triangular shape and when only the step form is employed when assembled, the stringers form a parallelogram. Each stringer is provided with a riser pin bracket which is secured as by welding to the outer side of each stringer at a position vertically spaced 'from each aperture in the upper flange of the stringer and having an aperture therein which is aligned with a respective aperture in the upper flange of each stringer. A vertical slot extends in the side of each stringer between each aperture in theupper flange of the stringer and each riser pin bracket. A plurality of risers may be secured to the horizontally aligned stringers but it is only necessary to describe the attachment of one riser to a pair of stringers.

The riser has upper and lower flanges which face outwardly and the upper and lower flanges have a plurality of vertically aligned apertures at predetermined spaced locations. The purpose of the plurality of apertures is to control the width of the riser when it is placed in use depending on the length of the step which it is desired to be formed. The riser is assembled with the stringers by inserting the riser through the oppositely aligned slots in the stringers. The riser is of narrower width than the slots and is assembled to rest against the rear edge of each slot. A riser pin is then inserted through an aperture of the upper flange of the stringer, and extends through the selected apertures in the upper and lower flanges of the riser and the riser pin bracket to secure the riser against the rear edge of each respective stringer slot. The riser pins are readily removable after the concrete has set to remove the riser through the stringer slot. as the risers are free in the slots for breaking away from the set concrete.

In order to secure the stringers in place when the combination porch/step form is employed. each stringer is providedon the outer side with wood stake pockets closed on the sides and open at the top and bottom with apertures in the side for nailing to a wooden stake which may be driven into the ground. In the case of the use of the step form alone, the stringers have pockets brackets on each side through which metal stakes are driven into the ground. Slots are provided on each side of the respective pocket brackets through which a metal wedge is driven horizontally past the metal stake to abut the same and insure it will be held rigidly in place. The ends of each stringer of a step form, when used without the porch form, are provided with a flange for clamping the stringer to an adjacent stringerif it is desired that additional stringers and risers be used to form a greater number of steps.

In the combination porch/step form, the porch form consists of a pair of front panels and spaced side panels which abut the front panels and extend rearwardly from the front panels at substantially right angles thereto. The front and side panels at their corner abutting areas are respectively doubly pinnedtogether by a pair of removable pins and the front panels are double pinned to the stringers and uppermost riser of the step form by a pair of removable pins. The utilization of a pair of removable pins to hold the described parts together insures a rigid tight connection between the front and side panels'and a right angle at the corner areas, and likewise the use of a pair of removable pins to secure the front panels to the step unit insures that a rigid, tight connection is made between these respective members.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the several main parts of the combination porch/step form illustrated by a three step form; v

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the stringers of FIG. 1, illustrating a riser extending through the slot in the stringer and pinned in place;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one corner of the porch form illustrating the double pinning of the front and side panel;

FIG. 4 is a top plan of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 isa perspective view illustrating the double pinning of the front panel to the step form;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention consisting of a step form of the parallelogram configuration which is employed without the porch form;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of a stringer of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings with respect to the combination metal porch/step form, there is illustrated a pair of side stringers I of a generally triangular shape which are horizontally or oppositely spaced from each other. Each stringer I has an outwardly facing upper flange 2 and lower flange 3. Each stringer has a plurality of apertures 4 in the upper flange 2 spaced at predetermined intervals depending on the number of steps incorporated in the unit.

Each stringer 1 is also provided with riser pin brackets 5 which are welded to the outer side of each stringer and vertically removed downwardly from each aperture 4 in upper flange 2 and which has an aperture 6 therethrough in vertical alignment with an aperture 4 in a respective stringer 1.

Each stringer 1 is provided with a slot 7 through the wall thereof which is located between each aperture 4 and 6 respectively in upper flanges 2 of stringers 1 and the pin brackets 5. Slots 7 have edges which extend perpendicularly.

Each stringer 1 is also provided on the outer side with pocket brackets 8 for receiving a wood stake 9 to anchor each stringer 1 to the ground.

The pair of stringers 1 receive a plurality of risers 10 which extend through the oppositely aligned slots 7 of the respective stringers 1. Each riser 10 is provided with an outwardly facing upper flange 11 and lower flange 12, which are of lesser width than slot 7. As shown in the drawings, the taper of upper flange 11 forms an angle with the wall of the riser 10 of about 84, while the corresponding angle of the lower flange 12 is approximately 92. The respective flanges 11 and 12 have vertically aligned apertures 13 at spaced regular intervals therein. The apertures 13 are used to secure the risers 10 to stringers 1, and the length of the riser may be varied by employing different apertures 13 of the risers for securing them to stringers 1. The width of the steps may be varied over the entire length of the riser.

The risers 10 are of less height than stringer slots 7, so that the risers with the previously described lesser width flanges 11 and 12 are easily inserted through slots 7 and the slots and. risers are so constructed that the rear wall of each riser 10 will abut the rear edge 14 of each slot 7 when risers 10 are pinned in place. In this position, the respective apertures 13 in the upper and lower flanges of each riser 10 will be in vertical alignment with an aperture 4 in a respective stringer 1 and an aperture 6 in a riser pin bracket 5. In order to hold a respective riser 10 in this position, a riser pin 15 is inserted through apertures 4, 13 and 6 to securely lock riser 10 in place and form a tight joint between each riser and stringer. When the concrete poured into the form has cured, the pins 15 are removed by grasping handle 16 of each pin 15 and risers 10 are then broken away from the face of the concrete for removal through a respective slot 7. However, should the riser pins 15 be pulled before the concrete hardens sufficiently to support itself, the travel of the riser within the slot when broken from the concrete is of the order of about three-sixteenth of an inch so that the riser continues to support the concrete.

FIG. 1 of the drawings only illustrates three risers 10 in use with stringers I, but the number may be varied almost at will.

The porch forms. assembled with the step forms, to form the combination porch/step form, in general have a pair of horizontally spaced front panels 17 which have outwardly facing upper flanges l8 and lower flanges 19 as well as side flanges 20. Upper and lower flanges l8 and 19 are provided with intermittently spaced vertically aligned apertures 21. The respective front panels may be reinforced by the braces 22 which are welded to the outer surface of the wall of the front panels 17.

In addition, the porch forms have the horizontally spaced side panels 23 which when assembled with the front panels 17 abut panels 17 at the forward end of side panels 23 and extend rearwardly therefrom at generally right angles. Side panels 23 are provided on the outer wall with braces 24 to reinforce the panels and have the upper and lower outwardly extending flanges Each side panel 23 has the pocket brackets 26 through which wood stakes 27 are inserted and driven into the ground to level and support the assembled porch form in the proper position. Preferably a wooden 2 inches X 4 inches stake 27 is employed and it is fastened to a pocket bracket 26 by nails (not shown) which are driven into stake 27 through the holes 28 in the face of each pocket bracket 26.

The attachment of the side panels 23 to front panels l7 of the porch unit or form and to the stringers 1 of the step unit or form will only be described with respect to one side panel and front panel and also one front panel and stringer, as the attachment is the same for the other panels and stringer.

As illustrated in the drawing, particularly FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5, the side panel 23 has an upper flat bracket 29, the ear of which is welded to the upper flange 25 of side panel 23 at the front panel end of side panel 23. When the side panel 23 is assembled in abutting relationship with front panel 17, bracket 29 projects over the upper flange 18 of the front panel and the horizontally spaced apertures 30 provided in the bracket 29 are aligned with apertures 21 in the upper flange I8 and lower flange 19 of front panel 17. In addition, a lower flat bracket 31 is welded to the lower flange 25 of side panel 23 and projects beneath the lower flange 19 of front panel 17 and includes horizontally spaced apertures 32 aligned with apertures 30 of upper bracket 29.

In order to lock the front panel 17 and side panel 23 rigidly together at thecorner area and establish a right angle corner, the horizontally spaced panel pins 33 are inserted respectively through the spacedapertures 30 in upper bracket 29, thence the apertures in upper flange 18 and lower flange 19 of front panel 17, and lower bracket 31. This double pinning of the front and side panels squares the form to automatically assure a right angle at the porch corners and makes a tight, rigid assembly.

Referring now to the pinning of the front panel 17 to the stringer 1, this also is a double pinning construction. The uppermost riser 10 of the step form is disposed with the lower flange 12 of the riser 10 in the slots 34 provided in the rear of the stringers 1 and the upper flange 11 of riser 10 overlies the upper flange 2 of stringers 1. The riser 10 and the remaining portion of the step unit or form is assembled with the porch unit or form so that the upper flange ll of riser 10 is located beneath the upper flange 18 of front panel 17.

The described parts are secured together by the riser pin 15 which extends through the aperture 21 in upper flange 18 of the front panel 17, thence through the aperture 4 in stringer 1, then aligned apertures 13 in upper flange 11 and lower flange 12 of riser 10, aperture 6 in riser pin bracket 5, lower flange 3 of stringer 1 and lower flange 19 of the front panel 17. The double pinning of front panel 17 to the step form is completed by a relatively short panel pin 35 which is inserted through an aperture 21 in the upper flange 18 of front panel 17 and thence through the aligned apertures 13 in the upper flange 11 and lower flange 12 of the riser 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawing, there is shown a step form of a different configuration which is employed other than in combination with the described combination porch/step form. As there illustrated, the stringers 36 are assembled in spaced relation opposite each other in a somewhat parallelogram configuration.

The risers 37 extend through the vertical slots 38 in the sides of the stringers. The rear edge 39 of each slot 38 is tapered slightly rearwardly from the vertical to provide a tight fit with risers 37. In this construction, the risers 37, as in the combination porch/step embodiment, are of lesser height than the slots 38, and the upper flange 40 and lower flange 41 of the risers 37 are of lesser width than slots 38, so that the risers 37 are readily inserted and removed through slots 38 The risers 37 are interchangeable with the risers or the porch/step combination in that the risers 37, corresponding to risers 10, are inverted so that, as illustrated, the angle of upper flange 40 with respect to the wall of the riser is approximately 92, and the angle of the lower flange 41 of the riser, with respect to the wall of the riser, is 84. This provides for a pitchback riser and step construction, and the slot 38 is constructed on the described taper to securely hold the riser 37 against the rear edge 39 of the slot.

Thestringers 36 have upper and lower flanges 42 with spaced apertures 44 therein, and similarly the upper flange 40 and lower 41 of riser 37 have spaced apertures 43 therein. When a riser 37 is located in a slot 38 as illustrated in FIG. 7, an aperture 44 of the stringer 36 is in vertical alignment with apertures 43 in the riser flanges and also with aperture 45 in the riser pin bracket 46, which is welded to stringer 36 below the slot 38. The stringer 36 and riser 37 are pinned together by a riser pin 47 which extends vertically through the described vertically aligned apertures of stringer 36, riser 37 and riser pin bracket The pin 47 securely holds the riser 37 in against the rear edge 39 of slot 38. The pin 47 is readily inserted and removed by grasping the handle 48, so that the riser 37 may readily be broken from the face of the cured concrete and removed.

When the stringers 36 and risers 37 are assembled as described and located at the position on the soil for constructing the steps desired, the stringers are staked to the ground by metal stakes 49, which are driven into the ground through the pocket brackets 50, which are welded to the sides of stringers 36.

FIG. 8 illustrates a stake 49 in position within the aperture provided in the top and bottom members of bracket 50, and further illustrates a wedge 51 driven through slots in the side of pocket bracket 50 to secure the metal stake 49 in place.

Although FIG. 6 only illustrates the use of two risers 37. for example, three or five risers 37 may be employed with a set of stringers. If more risers 37 are desired, the stringers 36 may be secured to other stringers with risers therein. This is illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 by the employment of the clamp 52 which is riveted to the flange 53 providedon the end of stringers 36, and which is adapted to receive an adjacent stringer and clamp the two abutting stringers together. To facilitate assembly. each stringer 36 to which the clamp is secured, has the short projections 54 which are received in holes 55 provided in the flange 56 on the adjacent stringer.

As in the first embodiment, the risers 37 may be of varying widths as governed by the number of apertures 44 in the flanges of the risers 37 for pinning the risers to the stringers 36.

In assembling the stringers 36 and risers 37 illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the risers 37 are inserted through the slots 38 in the left and right hand stringers 36. The looking or riser pins 47 for each riser are inserted through an aperture 44 in upper flange 42 of stringer 36, thence through the apertures 43 in upper flange and lower flange 41 of the riser 37, and through aperture in riser pin bracket 46. This locks the risers 37 to stringers 36.

Thereafter, the assembled riser and stringer forms are positioned on the established grade at the proper location and steel stakes 49 are driven through pocket brackets to anchor the form firmly in the soil. Wedges 51 are driven through side slots in brackets 50 to lock the stakes in place. After the concrete has set, the locking riser pins 47 are removed and the risers 37 broken away from the face of the concrete steps formed by pouring concrete into the form and are slid left or right for removal through slots 38. Wedges 51 are knocked out of pocket brackets 50 and the stakes 49 worked so that the stakes and stringers are readily removed.

in assembling the combination porch/step form, described and illustrated with respect to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, after the elevation of the porch is determined the side panels 23 of the porch form are located in place and 2 inches X 4 inches wood stakes 27 are inserted through pocket brackets 26 and driven into ground and then nailed to the brackets. The left and right front panels 17 are positioned in abutting relation with the forward edge of side panels 23 with the upper flat brackets 29 secured on each side panel 23 overlying the upper flange 18 of the front panels 17 and the lower flat brackets 31 secured to each side panel extending beneath the lower flanges 19 of each front panel 17. Panel pins 33 are inserted through the spaced apertures 30 in upper bracket 29, the upper flange l8 and lower flange 19 of front panel 17 and lower bracket 31. This double pins the front and side panels rigidly together at the corner area, and squares the porch form.

The risers and stringers of the step unit of the combination porch/step form in general are assembled as described with respect to the step form of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

Next, as described and illustrated in FIG. 5, the uppermost riser 10 which has its lower flanges 12 disposed in slots 34 in the rear of the stringers I is assembled with the front panels 17 of the porch form so that the upper flange ll of the riser rests beneath the upper flanges 18 of front panels 17 and above stringer flange 2. Riser pins 15 are then inserted through apertures 21 in upper flanges 18 of front panels 17, thence through apertures 13 in upper flange ll of riser 10, thence through apertures 4 in the upper flange 2 of stringers 1, through aligned apertures inlower flange 12 of riser l0, and in the riser pins bracket 5 and in the lower flange 3 of stringers 1 and lower flange 19 of the front panels 17. Thereafter to complete the double pinning of the step and porch form together, short panel pins 35 are inserted through apertures 21 in the upper flange 18 of front panel 17 and thence through the aligned apertures 13 in the upper flange 11 and lower flange 12 of the riser 10. Wooden stakes 9 are driven into the soil through the pocket brackets 8 on stringer 1 to securely hold the form in place and may be nailed to the brackets by holes therein provided for such purpose.

The step form of the unit is disassembled as previously described with respect to the step form of FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 and disassembled from the porch form by removing the respective pins and 35. Then the pins 33 securing the front and the side panels of the porch form together are removed. The stakes 27 holding the side panels 23 are readily removed by working the side panels upwards and sideways and the same is true of the stakes 9 holding the stringers 1 in proper position.

The treads of the steps formed by the forms of the invention are pitched for drainage and the same is true of the porch top and the pitch is predetermined, thus eliminating hours of work for the mason. The forms can be used many times because of their sturdy metal construction and the interlocking pins insure positive positioning of all components and with the slotted construction in the stringers the ready removal of the risers through the slots in the stringers. The risers of the combination porch/step form and the step form can be readily interchanged to provide either vertical or a pitch back face on the steps. Thus the risers can be inverted so that the lower flange of each riser, which has a slight downward pitch, can be located on top to permit the tread to project slightly beyond the inside corner where the riser and tread of the next lower concrete step meet.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim: I

1. In a combination metal porch/step form, a pair of side panels and a pair of front panels having upper and lower flanges providing the porch/step form with the forward ends of the side panels abutting the front panels at a joint area and extending rearwardly from the front panels at substantially right angles thereto, bracket members overlying each of the side panels and the upper and lower flanges of the front panels at the joint therebetween, a pair of porch panel pins extending vertically through the bracket members and the upper and lower flanges of each of the front panels to secure a respective front panel and side panel rigidly together at the joint area -therebetween, a pair of horizontally spaced upper and lower outwardly flanged reuseable. one piece stringer members extending forwardly from each front panel with spaced aligned apertures therein at predetermined locations, a respective second pair of vertically extending pins securing each front panel to a stringer, each of said stringers having longitudinally spaced vertical slots in the side wall thereof in opposite alignment with a slot in the other stringer. risers having upper and lower flanges with aligned apertures therein at spaced predetermined locations and extending horizontally through the slots of the stringers and of lesser height than said slots and the flanges of less width than the slots to provide the step form for holding concrete during its formation into steps, riser pin bracket members secured beneath each slot on the outside of each stringer and having an aperture therein vertically aligned with an aperture in the upper flange of a respective stringer and the apertures in the upper and lower flanges of the riser, and riser pins extending through the apertures in the said stringer and riser flanges and in each bracket to secure a riser against the rear edge of a slot, and riser pins being readily removable after the concrete has set for removal of the respective risers through the slots within which the risers are supported.

2. The construction of claim 1, and pocket bracket members secured to the outer side of each porch panel for receiving stake members to stake the porch form to the ground, and bracket members secured on each outer side of the respective stringers for receiving stake members to stake the step form to the ground.

3. The construction of claim 1 in which the lower flange of the uppermost riser is lodged within a slot provided in the rear of the upper end portion of a respective stringer and the upper flange of the riser overlies the upper flange of the stringer and the respective pair of pins securing each stringer to the front panel comprises a first pin which extends through the top flange of the front panel, the top flange of a riser, the top flange of the stringer, the bottom flange of said riser, the riser pin bracket and the lower flanges of the stringer and front panel, and a second pin which extends in spaced relation to the panel pin through the top flange of the front panel, and the top and bottom flange of the riser.

4. In a reuseable step form, a pair of horizontally spaced stringer members each being of one piece construction and having upper and lower outwardly facing flanges with apertures provided in the upper flange spaced at predetermined locations and with the upper flange extending on a downwardly inclined plane and terminating in an outer end member extending verti cally upwardly from the lower flange for a substantial distance, verticallyextending slots in the walls of at least one of the'stringer members, risers having upper and lower flanges extending through said slots and of lesser height than said slots and the flanges thereof of less width than said slots, a riser pin bracket secured to at least one of the stringers below each slot and having an aperture therein aligned with an aperture in the upper flange of said stringer, and each riser having apertures therein at spaced locations in the upper and lower flanges thereof in vertical alignment with the apertures in the stringer and riser pin bracket to effect easy, quick and positive locking of the risers within the stringers at different longitudinal locations to form steps of varying width, and a riser pin extending through said aligned apertures to hold each riser securely against therear edge of each slot to prevent wet concrete from leaking between the risers and stringers and to dispose the risers in position to receive and hold concrete until the same has set into a step form, and the riser pins being removable by manually pulling the same from the apertures to permit ready inspection of the degree of curing of the concrete and eventual removal of each riser through a respective slot once the concrete has set.

5. The construction of claim 4 in which the angle of one flange of the riser with respect to the wall of the riser is approximately 92 and the angle of the other flange of the riser with respect to the wall of the riser is approximately 84 whereby each riser may be inverted to locate either the first named flange on top or the second named flange on top to thereby provide eirear edge of the slot when the riser is pinned in place.

7. The construction of claim 4, and the stringer members being of generally triangular configuration.

8. The construction of claim 4, and the stringer members being of generally parallelogram configuration.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3 841 595 Dated October 15, 1974 Inve t WI LL IAM M BROWN It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 8, line 4, After "and", insert -said--- (Claim 1) Signed and sealed this 4th day of March 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks ORM PC4050 USCOMMl-DC 60376-P69 U,SA GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: "I! 0-366-884, 

1. In a combination metal porch/step form, a pair of side panels and a pair of front panels having upper and lower flanges providing the porch/step form with the forward ends of the side panels abutting the front panels at a joint area and extending rearwardly from the front panels at substantially right angles thereto, bracket members overlying each of the side panels and the upper and lower flanges of the front panels at the joint therebetween, a pair of porch panel pins extending vertically through the bracket members and the upper and lower flanges of each of the front panels to secure a respective front panel and side panel rigidly together at the joint area therebetween, a pair of horizontally spaced upper and lower outwardly flanged reuseable, one piece stringer members extending forwardly from each front panel with spaced aligned apertures therein at predetermined locations, a respective second pair of vertically extending pins securing each front panel to a stringer, each of said stringers having longitudinally spaced vertical slots in the side wall thereof in opposite alignment with a slot in the other stringer, risers having upper and lower flanges with aligned apertures therein at spaced predetermined locations and extending horizontally through the slots of the stringers and of lesser height than said slots and the flanges of less width than the slots to provide the step form for holding concrete during its formation into steps, riser pin bracket members secured beneath each slot on the outside of each stringer and having an aperture therein vertically aligned with an aperture in the upper flange of a respective stringer and the apertures in the upper and lower flanges of the riser, and riser pins extending through the apertures in the said stringer and riser flanges and in each bracket to secure a riser against the rear edge of a slot, and riser pins being readily removable after the concrete has set for removal of the respective risers through the slots within which the risers are supported.
 2. The construction of claim 1, and pocket bracket members secured to the outer side of each porch panel for receiving stake members to stake the porch form to the ground, and bracket members secured on each outer side of the respective stringers for receiving stake members to stake the step form to the ground.
 3. The construction of claim 1 in which the lower flange of the uppermost riser is lodged within a slot provided in the rear of the upper end portion of a respective stringer and the upper flange of the riser overlies the upper flange of the stringer and the respective pair of pins securing each stringer to the front panel comprises a first pin which extends through the top flange of the front panel, the top flange of a riser, the top flange of the stringer, the bottom flange of said riser, the riser pin bracket and the lower flanges of the stringer and front panel, and a second pin which extends in spaced relation to the panel pin through the top flange of the front panel, and the top and bottom flange of the riser.
 4. In a reuseable step form, a pair of horizontally spaced stringer members each being of one piece construction and having upper and lower outwardly facing flanges with apertures provided in the upper flange spaced at predetermined locations and with the upper flange extending on a downwardly inclined plane and terminating in an outer end member extending vertically upwardly from the lower flange for a substantial distance, vertically extending slots in the walls of at least one of the stringer members, risers having upper and lower flanges extending through said slots and of lesser height than said slots and the flanges thereof of less width than said slots, a riser pin bracket secured to at least one of the stringers below each slot and having an aperture therein aligned with an aperture in the upper flange of said stringer, and each riser having apertures therein at spaced locations in the upper and lower flanges thereof in vertical alignment with the apertures in the stringer and riser pin bracket to effect easy, quick and positive locking of the risers within the stringers at different longitudinal locations to form steps of varying width, and a riser pin extending through said aligned apertures to hold each riser securely against the rear edge of each slot to prevent wet concrete from leaking between the risers and stringers and to dispose the risers in position to receive and hold concrete until the same has set into a step form, and the riser pins being removable by manually pulling the same from the apertures to permit ready inspection of the degree of curing of the concrete and eventual removal of each riser through a respective slot once the concrete has set.
 5. The construction of claim 4 in which the angle of one flange of the riser with respect to the wall of the riser is approximately 92* and the angle of the other flange of the riser with respect to the wall of the riser is approximately 84* whereby each riser may be inverted to locate either the first named flange on top or the second named flange on top to thereby provide either a substantially vertical face or a pitch back on the formed steps.
 6. The construction of claim 4, and each slot which receives a riser having the flanges disposed so that the uppermost flange of the riser is disposed at a 92* angle with respect to the wall of the riser having the rear edge tapered to provide the slot of greater width at the bottom to insure tight engagement of the riser with the rear edge of the slot when the riser is pinned in place.
 7. The construction of claim 4, and the stringer members being of generally triangular configuration.
 8. The construction of claim 4, and the stringer members being of generally parallelogram configuration. 